Faculty Collaboration Database

Quantitative Foveal Structural Metrics as Predictors of Visual Acuity in Human Albinism. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2024 Mar 05;65(3):3

Date

03/05/2024

Pubmed ID

38441889

Pubmed Central ID

PMC10916884

DOI

10.1167/iovs.65.3.3

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85186846764 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)

Abstract

PURPOSE: To assess the degree to which quantitative foveal structural measurements account for variation in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in human albinism.

METHODS: BCVA was measured and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) images were acquired for 74 individuals with albinism. Categorical foveal hypoplasia grades were assessed using the Leicester Grading System for Foveal Hypoplasia. Foveal anatomical specialization (foveal versus parafoveal value) was quantified for inner retinal layer (IRL) thickness, outer segment (OS) length, and outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness. These metrics, participant sex, and age were used to build a multiple linear regression of BCVA. This combined linear model's predictive properties were compared to those of categorical foveal hypoplasia grading.

RESULTS: The cohort included three participants with type 1a foveal hypoplasia, 23 participants with type 1b, 33 with type 2, ten with type 3, and five with type 4. BCVA ranged from 0.08 to 1.00 logMAR (mean ± SD: 0.53 ± 0.21). IRL ratio, OS ratio, and ONL ratio were measured in all participants and decreased with increasing severity of foveal hypoplasia. The best-fit combined linear model included all three quantitative metrics and participant age expressed as a binary variable (divided into 0-18 years and 19 years or older; adjusted R2 = 0.500). This model predicted BCVA more accurately than a categorical foveal hypoplasia model (adjusted R2 = 0.352).

CONCLUSIONS: A quantitative model of foveal specialization accounts for more variance in BCVA in albinism than categorical foveal hypoplasia grading. Other factors, such as optical aberrations and eye movements, may account for the remaining unexplained variance.

Author List

Woertz EN, Ayala GD, Wynne N, Tarima S, Zacharias S, Brilliant MH, Dunn TM, Costakos D, Summers CG, Strul S, Drack AV, Carroll J

Authors

Joseph J. Carroll PhD Director, Professor in the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Deborah M. Costakos MD Chair, Professor in the Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Sergey S. Tarima PhD Associate Professor in the Institute for Health and Equity department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adolescent
Albinism
Child
Child, Preschool
Eye Movements
Fovea Centralis
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Retina
Visual Acuity